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Chapter 75
“The head chef said you haven’t been eating much lately, so he specially made these cashew cookies for you. Apparently, they’re good for the brain.”
“They look delicious.”
Just looking at them made them seem tasty.
“Try one. They’re good.”
“Have you tried them?”
“He made some for me, too.”
Noah gestured for her to hurry up and eat.
“The Duke told me to come see you eat. Hurry up and eat.”
“All right, I’ll eat.”
Elia picked up a cashew cookie and put it in her mouth.
Its nutty yet sweet flavor spread throughout her mouth.
“It’s really delicious.”
“Now that I’ve seen you eat, I’m leaving.”
Noah turned around and walked away coolly.
Watching Noah’s retreating back, Elia tilted her head.
“By the way, were His Highness’s shoulders always that broad?”
Not long ago, he had seemed extremely thin, but today Noah’s shoulders looked unusually broad.
“Am I imagining it?”
Come to think of it, Noah, who was now thirteen, had grown quite tall as well. Elia wondered when he had gotten so tall.
Time really did fly.
Compared to him, Elia was still short. For some reason, having to look up at Noah irritated her.
Beside her, Gaji clicked his tongue.
[You worry about the strangest things. He’ll grow just fine on his own.]
‘Would I grow, too, if I ate the Fruit of Life like Jirk?’
Elia had heard from Jirk himself how he had grown.
On the day Elia allowed Austin and Jirk to meet the World Tree, Jirk had said that the World Tree gave him a Fruit of Life as a gift.
[You know that won’t work, right?]
“Tch.”
The Fruit of Life did not simply accelerate growth. It fulfilled the desire of the person who ate it.
What Jirk had wished for was to shed his appearance as a young child. It could be said that his wish had been granted through the fruit.
The Javier Duchy’s Study, located in Noblesse Town
“Why haven’t I heard anything yet?”
The Duke of Javier paced around his study before pulling the bell cord and summoning Viscount Falz.
“You called for me?”
“Have you still heard nothing from the Fiorne Marquisate?”
“No, not yet.”
“Isn’t that strange? By now, it wouldn’t be surprising if they came running to me, begging to sell me their mansion. Did you make sure to pressure them?”
“Yes. I threatened them by using Young Master Dylan. Since it concerns the safety of their only heir, the Marquis won’t have much choice. Please wait just a little longer. There is still time left until the deadline.”
“How much time is left?”
“They asked for a week, so we gave them five days. Today is the third day, so there are two days remaining.”
“I understand. You may leave.”
After sending Viscount Falz out, the Duke of Javier stroked his beard and gave a sinister smile.
“Two days. I’ll gladly wait. I’ve waited for years. Surely I can wait two more days.”
From the beginning, the situation had been absurd.
A family beneath a ducal house in rank had taken the best location in Noblesse Town.
Naturally, that position should belong to the Javier Duchy, headed by none other than himself, the leader of the Council of Nobles.
In the Adelhaite Empire, aside from the Cartelani Duchy located in the north, the Javier Duchy was the only other ducal house.
He had long disliked the Fiorne Marquis, who had occupied the best location for generations simply because his family was an old and prestigious one.
Moreover, the two men were political rivals with completely different views.
While the Duke of Javier thought exclusively about the interests of the nobles, the Fiorne Marquis believed that the happiness of the common people was important as well.
Furthermore, the Marquis even argued that instead of opposing the Imperial Family, they should seek ways to cooperate with them.
The Duke of Javier, on the other hand, believed they should take whatever benefits they could through negotiations with the Imperial Family.
Because of this, the two frequently clashed over their opinions.
The Duke had never intended to scheme his way into taking the mansion. But after watching the Fiorne Marquis’s behavior for so long, he had finally decided to take action.
And if he waited just two more days, the Fiorne Marquis would come to him, kneel before him, and beg to sell the mansion.
Just imagining that scene made the Duke of Javier feel as though years of indigestion had finally been relieved.
Jasper handled the mansion sale on Elia’s behalf, since Elia could not travel to the capital.
As Jasper happened to be running the Beautiful Line store in the capital, he was the perfect person for the job.
“Are you truly the representative of the Cartelani Duchy?”
The Fiorne Marquis looked at Jasper suspiciously.
“Yes, I am the representative. Here is the document authorizing me to handle the sale.”
The document bore the seal of the Cartelani Duchy, marked with the family’s symbolic eagle emblem.
“I see. It’s legitimate.”
After setting the document down, the Fiorne Marquis looked at Jasper again. The suspicion had disappeared from his eyes.
“Very well. Let us sign.”
Jasper smiled and signed the sales contract.
The Fiorne Marquis then signed the transfer agreement, and the two exchanged the documents.
Jasper then took a check from inside his coat and held it out.
It was a check worth a staggering 150,000 gold.
The Fiorne Marquis accepted the check and placed it safely inside his wallet.
“I’ll vacate the mansion within fifteen days.”
“Are you returning to your territory?”
“That is what I intend to do. I’ve grown sick of politics.”
“I hope you’ll be happy.”
“It is a mansion with a long history. I hope you won’t renovate it too much.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Marquis.”
“Then, I’ll be going.”
The Fiorne Marquis rose from his seat first.
Only after Jasper and Lapis had seen the Fiorne Marquis off did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“So, that’s it?”
Jasper handed the transfer agreement to Lapis as he spoke.
“Of course. You’ve worked hard.”
“I didn’t do much. Well, good luck with the rest.”
“Have a safe trip.”
Jasper was busy as well.
The store was doing so well that they were short-handed whenever she was away. At this rate, Jasper thought she might genuinely have trouble even seeing the face of the person she loved.
Elia received the mansion’s transfer agreement from one of the people Lapis had sent.
Naturally, the first person Elia proudly showed it to was Alexis.
“Duke, we finally have a home in the capital, too.”
“What?”
Elia went, “Ta-da!” and showed Alexis the mansion transfer agreement.
“This…”
He widened his eyes as he examined the contract.
“It says this is the Fiorne Marquisate’s mansion. Eli, did you really purchase this place?”
“Yes.”
“The Fiorne Marquis sold his mansion…”
The Fiorne Marquis was someone Alexis knew quite well.
As a member of the Council of Nobles, he was a man with considerable influence, and his family was also one of the oldest houses alongside the Cartelani Duchy.
Suddenly, Alexis remembered the letter he had received from the Fiorne Marquis several days ago.
He had found it strange that the Fiorne Marquis, with whom he had had no particular connection, had sent him a letter.
In the letter, the Marquis had said that he intended to withdraw from politics and spend the rest of his life managing his territory. He had also asked that, even if Alexis acquired the mansion, he not completely erase the traces of the Fiorne family.
Alexis had contacted Lapis and learned the general circumstances.
It was about the heir—the Marquis’s son.
Perhaps it was simply the heart of a parent who wanted to save his son even if it meant selling their mansion.
“Duke, don’t you like it?”
“Hm?”
“You don’t seem happy.”
Elia spoke confidently.
“I absolutely didn’t do anything improper! This was a legitimate transaction!”
Elia believed Alexis would never suspect that she had used any underhanded methods.
“I know, Eli. I know it was a legitimate transaction. And thank you. For working so hard for His Highness and me.”
“Duke…”
“I know that you’re always working hard, Eli. But I want you to do things that make you happy.”
“But helping you and His Highness is something I really enjoy.”
Elia wrapped her arms around Alexis’s waist.
“I’m very happy, Duke. So don’t worry.”
“All right, Eli. If you’re happy, that’s enough. Shall we go have lunch now?”
“Oh, is it already that late?”
“It is.”
Elia happened to be hungry as well, so she headed toward the dining room with Alexis.
Noah joined them along the way.
Noah was becoming more robust with each passing day.
Elia had heard that he spent every day learning how to control the Blessing of the Sun together with Austin.
Alexis taught him swordsmanship, while Austin taught him how to use the Blessing of the Sun.
What a blessed situation.
A prince with a Sword Master and the Master of a Magic Tower as his teachers.
If the world learned about this, it might be thrown into an uproar.
